Art is for the Public

The day was creeping into its sweltering stage as Pastel, an Argentinian artist commissioned by Ann Connelly, owner of Baton Rouge’s Ann Connelly Fine Art, rushed to finish the mural that he was painting on the back of a building occupying Lobdell at the corner of Jefferson Highway. He was leaving for Greensboro, North Carolina, the next morning, then off to a whirlwind mural-making tour of Europe starting with the Ukraine, so time was of the essence.

As with most of his walls, Pastel (the nickname he prefers to use in his professional life) was painting local Louisiana flora, specimens he’d researched before arriving in Baton Rouge along with a broader research regimen that would have included local issues of import. The prep work, which he completes before every mural, ensures that he reaches his end goal: reviving what he calls “dead places,” giving them back their identities and ensuring that the end result resonates with the people who live and work there.

The wall was tucked in a small asphalt alley behind a Circle K, near the location of Ann Connelly’s future gallery space. From his vantage, a generic urban intersection peppered with corporate billboards and fast-food joints, Pastel expressed his belief that public art can bring anonymous places back to life, giving them distinct identities. He explained, “Maybe there’s someone working there, he’s going to pass by every day, and it’s going to change his perspective of this city. If I try to work with the real identity of the place, it will be more—I don’t know if friendly [is the right word]—but you can approach better to the real people.”

Years ago, Pastel was an architect, grinding out designs at the direction of clients. Frustrated with his inability to leave his own mark on the buildings he was creating (a not-unsurprising impulse for someone who ended up becoming a public muralist) Pastel quit. He’s been making his mark ever since.

Public art in Baton Rouge actually has some precedent. Thanks to two independently generated projects—The Walls Project and The Museum of Public Art—it is not unusual to see murals by local and international artists in the downtown area, Old South Baton Rouge, and North Baton Rouge. As Pastel noted, these efforts might serve to kickstart public art efforts in the city.

Indeed, it seems they have. “Part of our job as creatives is to bring awareness to the power that visual arts have to showcase the best in communities, to build thriving cultural economies, and to help set the soul and pulse of a city,” Connelly said, explaining why she commissioned the mural. “The most famous cities in the world are know for their cultural offerings. Louisiana and Baton Rouge have such great potential.”